The best type of glass for stairs is the tempered (toughened) laminated glass with a minimum thickness of 21,5 mm or 27/32 inches. This type of glass is used in the manufacturing of both steps and railings or balustrades.
This is the safest type of glass available for stairs. We use it in manufacturing all our domestic and commercial staircases to comply with building regulations.
In Modern Glass Staircase Design is also one of the most recommended feature by architects and interior designers. The glass in fact is always able to add a sense of lightness and elegance to any interior design. Moreover, glass stairs parts can easily match any interior design style, being this modern or classic.
The tempered or toughened glass (also called safety glass) as raw material is heated at very high temperature and suddenly cooled.
As a result of this process there is a compression of the glass surface, which increases the resistance of the glass panel to mechanical stress and thermal shocks.
If the glass panel brakes, it crumbles into minuscule chunks which are not dangerous. Toughened glass is used for manufacturing cars and trucks windows, architectural glass walls, glass floors, doors glass tables and of course glass staircases.
The laminated glass is a safety glass that holds together when breaking. It is composed by different layers of glass joint together by a polyvinyl butyral layer (PVB). This is a resin that keeps the glass layers bonded together even when they break. In the event that the glass shatters, the glass panel takes a cracking pattern similar to a spider web, without braking in dangerous glass splinters.
As happens for tempered glass, also the laminated glass is used for cars windows and windshields.
Toughened laminated glass for steps – what type of glass is used for stairs
In order to have the maximum level of safety on our stairs steps, railings and balustrades we only use toughened laminated glass panels for stairs and guardrails.
On Frameless Glass Steps, i.e. glass stairs with no metal or steel frame, we normally use a triple laminated toughened glass.
The frameless glass step has 3 layers of glass, each one with a thickness of 10 mm hold together by PVB film layers. The total thickness of the glass steps is 33,04 mm (10 +1.52 pvb + 10+1.52 +10 mm)
If the staircase design allows for Glass Steps supported by a metal frame or tubular supports fitted under the treads, we use triple laminated glass panels of 6 mm each. The total thickness is therefore 21,04 mm
Toughened laminated glass for glass railings and glass balustrades
For the Glass Staircase Railings and Glass Balustrades we use tempered laminated glass panels of 21,52 mm. The panels are produced with two glass layers of 10 mm hold by a pvc film of 1.52 mm when the balustrade is frameless, with no posts. This type of glass is suitable for both straight and curved glass railings and balustrades.
For glass panels fixed to handrail and posts with stainless steel brackets we use instead toughened laminated glass panels of 11,52 mm (5 + 1.52 +5 mm).
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It’s cool that the glass crumbles into chunks that aren’t dangerous instead of large shards of glass. If that weren’t in place, it could be pretty dangerous. How do they make it crumble in the right way?
Hi Tori,
there is no right or wrong way for the glass to cramble. The different layers of the glass are put together with a PVB layer. This is a kind of resin that keeps the glass panel together even if they are broken. Please have a look at our post on https://www.granddesignstairs.com/are-glass-staircases-safe/ and you will find a picture of a broken glass step.The glass step remains a unique piece and there are no dangerous splinters around, no sharp edges, therefore no danger.
Grand Design Stairs
Customer Service
Thanks to you for reading and for your comment.
Kind Regards.
Grand Design Stairs
Customer Service